Centrifugal governor.



VPA'I'BIHFD JULY v3, 1.906.

0. D.' H. BENTLEY. GENTRIFUGAL GOVRNSE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED DBG. 9, 19M.

V, l A

UNITED STATES rnrnnfr orsron.

OLIVER D. BENTLEY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

OENTRIFUGAL GOVERNOR.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed December 9, 1904. Serial No. 236,160.

T wil whom, t rita/y concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER D. H. BENT- LEY, a citizen of the United States, residing `at Washington, District of Columbia, have` machines. havingla relatively high rotative found who can ,satisfactorily do the work,-

-Thegreatest of the di e djiiculty in pro erly balrings and ot er parts. culties is 'encountered in making the springs, and few workmen are speed, owing to t ancing the rotating s and even when these men are found it requires especially careulwork on their part to obtain good results. This will 'be apparent when it is considered that the springs are heavy,that the cross-section of metal in the spring -must be equal at every point measthe otheris movable. .springs are employed, fthey should be so disured in axial planes, that each turn must exertthe same force as every other turn, and that thes ring must bebalanced both statically an dynamically. Any substantial amount of vibration dueto the lack of balance will result in v'ruining the governor. Again, these governors re uire an adjustable synchronizing spring in a dition to the main rotating spring, so that the lspeed of the machine can be varied tocause it to take its proper proportion of a given load.

My invention has for its object to provide a governor of -improved construction wherein the objections above set forth are avoided. I also aim to sim lify the construction and to reduce the initia cost and also that of maintenancef In carrying out my invention two' or more carefully-balanced weight-s are provided, which are supported on knife-edges and move toward and away from the axis of rotation as the speed changes. Q The weights' act in opposition to one or more springs. When one s ring is employed it is referably of the coile type and concentrica y disposed'with respect to the axis of the shaft carrying the weight, so as to exert its eort equally at all points on the abutments. One of the abutments is fixed to a dome or other support and When two or more posed that they exert equal or. substantially equal elects on the movable abutment. Between the weights and the movable abutment is a connection which includes a slipjoint. This joint should be as free as possible from friction. shaft and weights is relatively h1gh,-a means should be employed for reducin the relative motion between them and the a utment carried by the free end of the s ringA or springs. Two or more'ball or roller earings may be employed Jfor this pur ose. Other things being equal, the higher t e speed of the shaft the greater should be the number of motionreducing devices. In operation one art moves on one set of balls or rollers', Whic in turn is'supported by and moves on another set, and so on, the angular speed of each part gradually reducing. B y using a stationary springer springs it or when the machine is runnin This dispenses-With theY usuaI spring. To the weights or movableV abutat full speed.

valve mechanism itself or 'to a' means that controls or operates the valve mechanism. The connection between the wei hts and the movable abutment may also with advantage friction. n

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a-longitudinal section of a governor having three stationary s ringshand Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section o a governor having a single stationary spring.

1 represents the shaft of a turbine or other machine to end of tlie shaft is a head 2,Wl1ich sup upright pillars or posts 3, the latter eing connected by a ring 4 to form a frame. The upper ends of each of the posts, of which two or more may be provided, have shoulders, and restingon these shoulders are blocks 5, which form seats for the knife-edges 6 on' the centrifugally-actin Weights 7. The ring and blocks are held in p ace by nuts 8 or equivalent means. Toeach weight is secured a piece 9,'.having a honk-likeprojectionwhich engages with a link 10. The links engage with an inverted-T-shaped head 11, formed on the lower end of therod 12. On the upper Since the speed of the` synchronizing ment is connected a lever or other means for transmitting motion from them or it to the- A they can be adjusted include a self-alining device to prevent undue on the heads 28 through the -top o u When this is done, the projections must be so end of the redis a spherical enlargement 13, which rests on the plate 14. Owing to the sph rical surfaces on the enlargement 13 and pla e 14, provision is made whereby the parts can aline themselves, and thus avoid excessive internal friction. A Situated below the plate 14; is a ring 15, containing grooves located above and below it. hese grooves form ball-races to receive the balls or rollers 16.

17 represents the movable abutment, and seated therein ,is a ring 18, having a ball-race on its upper Qurilace. 12 and seater i'. theabutment is a sleeve 19, which prevents excessive lateral movement oi the head 1d and rino' 15 when lthe ressurc e P 'Ihe head, rings, and f 'thereon is removed. rows olf balls or rollers constitute a motionreducing device and also a slip-joint. Surrounding the motion-reducing device is a cylinder 20, that is adapted to contain some sort of lubricating material to lubricate the balls orrollers. 'To the upper end of the cylinder is attached head 21, and to the latter is secured a vertically-extending rod 22. The upper end of the rod is attached to a bellcrank lever 23 the latter' being supported by a pivot 24, carried by extensions on the dome The'lower end ci' the bell-crank lever is connected by any suitable means with the valve mechanism or the mechanism controlling the valves.

In the present form of the governor there j stationary extension-springs 26 are provided, which are located one hundred and twenty degrees apart and at the same radial distance r from the axis ol' the rod 12.

The springs are of the extension type and are secured to screw-threaded heads 27' and 28. The former is provided with a screw-threaded extension which passes through the movable abutment .17 and is adapted to receive a retaining-nut. The head. 28 is also provided with a scre. threaded extension l which. extends upward though the plate or stationary abutment 29. On the endof each of these projections is an adj Listing-nut 30, whereby the tension on the spring can be varied. The plate 29 may be supported from the dome in any suitable manner. In the present instance it is supported by three downwardly-extending posts 31. Ii desired, I may dispense with the plate 29 and the posts and extend the rojections i) the dome.

arranged that they will not interfere with the movements of thev bell-crank lever 23. As thespecd of the shaft increases the weights 7 move outwardly, thereby moving the abutment 17 in a downward direction and increasing the tension on the springs 26. As the abutment moves downward motion is imparted to the rod 22, which in turn imparts movement to the bell-crank lever 23 and to the mechanismactuatedthereby.

Surrounding the rod Referring to Fig. 2, I have shown a slight modificationin the arrangement oi' the stationary spring and also in the means for transmitti-nOr motion from the weightsto the movable abutment. 32 represents the stationary spring, which is ccncentrically mounted with respect to the axis oi the shaft. The upper end oi the spring 'is attached to a screw-threaded head 33, which is provided with a central opening to receive the connecting-rod 34. In order to prevent the slee ve from turning, it is slotted, as at 35, and entering the slot is a i'eather 36, which -periits the sleeve to be moved up and down by means. of the adjusting-nut 37, but prevents it from rotating.. To the lower end of the spring is attached a movable abutment 3S, which is provided with a screw-threaded head .39, that receives the lower end of the connecting-rod 34. The lower end of the abutment is provided with a spherical seat to receive the sleeve 40, the lower end of which is provided with a spherical enlargement corresponding in shape to the seat. 'lfhis arrangement constitutes a self-aiming device to prevent undue friction and also serves t6 prevent excessive lateral movement of the ball races or rings and the balls when the strain on the spring is decreased. Extending upwardly through the cylinder 40 and connected to the weights, by means oi links, is a rod 41. On the upper end of the rod is a head 42, in which is formed a seat to receive the pointed end of the rod 34, the said point and seat therefor being hardened. rl`he under side of the head 42 is provided with a groove or ball-races to receive the balls 43. Underneath the upper vrow of balls is a ring provided with upper and lower grooves or ball-races. As many ci these devices may be employed as desired. The advantage of this construction over the one previously described resides principallv in the fact that only one spring is employed, which may be adjusted by a single means.

in accordance with the' provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to re resent the best embodiment thereof; but I dbsire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire 'to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a shaft-governor, the combination of weights mountgd on a revolving shaft, a` movable abutment connected to the weights through a 'slipj oint, and a non-rotatable coiled spring located between the weights and the abutment which opposes the action of the weights.

2; In a s lait-governor, the combination of weights mounted on a revolving shaft, a movable abutment, a connection between the weights and the abutment. a motion-re- IOO IIO

v the Weights and the abutment, a motion-retached to and moving ducing device included in said connection, a

'spring attached to the movable abutment andan actuator at- 'th the weights.

4. in a shaft-governor', the combination of weights `mounted on a lrevolving shaft, a

and a iixed support,

, movable abutment, a connection between f other and included in the connection, and a' the weights and the abutment, two or more motion-reducmg devices arranged one on the spring attached to the movable abutment and a fixed su port.

5. In a sha 't-governor, the combination of a head, weights pivotally mounted thereon, a

movable abutment, av connection between .the Weights and the abutment including a slip joint,

a stationary support, an abutment, a statlonary coiled sprin connected 'ch is connected to and` is actuated by the movable Weights.

` 6. 1n a shaft-governor, the combinationv of weights, a framewhich carries the wei hts and is ada ted to be mountedon a shait, a movable apbutment, aY dome, a stationary spring connected at one end to the abutment and at the other end to the dome, a connection between the weights and the lever inlever pivoted to the on a revolving shaft, aV

kmovable a .spring Vment attached to the spring,

device being controlled, a connect1on b dome, and a connection between the. movable abutment and the lever.

- 7. Inashaft-governor,

weights, -a frame which carries the wei hts and is adapted to be mounted on a sha t, a utment, a dome, a stationary connected at one end to the abutment and at the other end to the dome,

means for adjusting the tension of the spring,-

a connection between the weights and the abutment including a plurality of motion-reducing devices, an a means for transmitting motion from the abutment to the mechanism being` controlled. i

8. In a shaft-governor, the combination of weights, a stationaryT spring, a movable abutment attached to the spring, a means for transmitting the motion of the weights to the device being controlled, a connection between'the weights and the abutment, a slipjoint in the connection, and a self alining device also included in the connection.

9. `In a shaft-governor, weights, a stationary spring, a movable abuta meansfor transmitting the motion of the weights to the tween the Weights .and the abutment, and a motion-reducing and a self-alining device included in the connection.

In'witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of December, 1904. OLlVER D. H. BENTLEY.

Witnesses:

L. HoLsT, J. HARRIS FRANKLIN.

the combination of the combination of 

